An important consideration is wheth

An important consideration is whether external (reactive) or internal (endogenous) factors are responsible for the depression. In addition, clients should be further assessed to determine the relative contribution of cognitions, social support, and the prevalence of vegetative symptoms. Treatment should be planned taking these considerations into account. An elevation on 2 raises the possibility of suicide. This is particularly true if the elevations are high to extremely high and if there are corresponding elevations on 4, 7, 8, and/or 9. Even though these elevations might raise the possibility of suicide, no clear "suicidal profile" has been found to be an accurate predictor. Any suggestion of suicidal behavior on the profile should be investigated further through a careful assessment of additional relevant variables (demographics, presence, clarity, lethality of plan, etc.). More specific information might also be obtained by noting relevant critical items (see Appendix K on p. 698) and then discussing these with the client.


The presence of a moderate level of depression can be a positive sign for psychotherapy since they are likely to be highly motivated (but check possible negative indicators with elevations on TRT/Negative Treatment Indicators, L, K, and 1). In contrast, an extremely high score suggests they may be too depressed to experience sufficient motivation to change.